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Friends…
I have decided to dedicate this link on our new blog to my brush with cancer. I feel good about the prognosis. Everybody tells me that if ‘I had to have cancer, it is the best cancer to get.’ This sounds strange but the reality is… it’s true. Thyroid cancer is not considered a death sentence by any means and it is one of the most easily treatable cancers. I am fortunate. I have a wonderful family that loves me and supports me. I have great friends that have also been supportive. I bask in an aura of love and joy on a daily basis and what I notice is that I actually notice that more now. I can’t ask for more than that. However, there are not only ups. There are many downs too. The big point here is that I feel alive - all the time.
I intend to use this space to share how I am feeling and dealing with everything. I will try to post three to four times a week. It is not intended to be a platform to speak about cancer,although it could be at times. It is simply to record my thoughts on any given day and on any given matter during this time when I am fighting to be cancer-free. It is a temporary place for me to sort through and share my feelings involved in having and dealing with the disease and the more personal feelings that may come from that process. I suppose it is a journal really. It probably won’t be particularly interesting for most but I find it an easier to share what is happening without having to always send out group emails. This way, I won’t have to repeat myself. And you all will not feel any sense of obligation to respond. The information is here when you want it, if you want it.
Just to catch people up, I am including the two group emails that I sent out to friends and family when I first learned of the diagnosis. They are as follows:
Email #1 (written May 14th, 2015):
Dear Family and Friends,
As most of you know, I arrived to NYC last Friday safe and sound. There had been no real hitch except for that debilitating migraine I got the day after arriving that kept me away from my studies for a full day. I've been living the life of a hermit (a role that is actually more comfortable to me than I believe most people would imagine). Yesterday, I was just five days into making the physical move when I just got some really difficult and scary news. I have been diagnosed with thyroid cancer and will have to go back to take care of things very soon. Camera cut to... the floor opening up from under me.
My family doctor, who I am eternally grateful for her precautionary eye, had shown some concern a couple of months back when she had taken a look at my latest echography. A normal procedure...I have had my thyroid monitored for years due to some nodules. However, when the doctor put me through to see a specialist with some tests results and blood work, the specialist sort of scoffed at the idea that I may have anything to worry about and would not expedite a biopsy more quickly than through the regular, SLOW public health channels. This was despite the fact that we explained to her that I would be without any kind of insurance for a minimum of five months here in the States. The earliest I could get it done through the system would have been September. In the end, we decided to pay out of pocket for a biopsy as my family doctor recommended doing it. It was to give both Claudia and I that extra piece of mind. I guess I am in the five in one hundred category - the 5%. I only wish I had that kind of 'luck' when playing the lottery.
Both my family doctor and the specialist who performed the biopsy recommend dealing with it quickly. I concur as I just want to get that nastiness out of me.
Needless to say, all my plans have suddenly been foiled!! I am obviously worried and scared about the cancer and the upcoming surgery and my main concern is to get myself well. But I am also angry and annoyed that cancer actually has had the nerve to come around and rain on the parade, especially after all the hard work that both Claudia and I have invested in the last several months. I was so sad yesterday morning after Claudia told me the news and spent a good part of an hour simply pacing Bethany's apartment. After taking it all in, I moved on to action mode. I went to the Fellows office to talk to them personally about the possibility of getting a deferment to the Program's next cohort in 2016 as I have already done so much of the pre-work involved. The woman I spoke to was kind and listened to me as I got all choked up and told her what had happened and that I would have to give up my place. She told me that they are not in the practice of offering deferments but as it was an extraordinary circumstance, she would speak to the team and let me know something within a week. There was an email waiting for me from her when I got back to my sister's place 45 minutes later. They have deferred my place till 2016! That woman made my day yesterday. I know that I can beat this cancer thing (I don't think it knows who it is dealing with!) and fulfill this dream which, in fact, is many dreams wrapped up in one.
So...I will take at least two more of my exams (one tomorrow and one early or mid -week next week), postpone the last two, and spend a bit of time with friends here before joining my sweet baby, Evan, and beautiful wife, Claudia, back home in Portugal. I can't wait to wrap my arms around those two.
I will keep you all informed along this sudden shift in my journey.
Love to all,
Courtney
Email # 2 (written June 5th, 2015):
Hello all.
I hope you all are well. I just wanted to give everyone a bit of an update. I have been completely inundated with a tremendous amount of support over the last several weeks. I have tried to get back to most of you who have reached out to me. However, for anyone that I have missed, please rest assured that I appreciated your well wishes.
I am back in Portugal. I arrived about a week and a half ago. I had my first appointment at IPO (The Oncology Institute in Portugal) last Thursday. It went ok. I have another one next week where I will get some kind of biopsy of the lymph nodes to see if the cancer may have spread to them. Even if that happens, everything should be ok. I will also meet with the team of doctors/surgeons. The doctor I spoke with last week says this is all very easy to deal with. From what I have read, it seems to be true. . The surgery will be sometime in July.
I have started teaching here again...a very moderate schedule. I would, in fact, like to teach more. However, it has been fantastic to spend this kind of time with Evan and Claudia. They have been my joy!
That is it for now. For my Portuguese peeps....expect an email soon with my birthday party details. It will be on the 20th of June. Please save the date. I wasn't expecting to celebrate much this year but now I want to have a great party!
Be well.
Courtney
-------------------------------------------
So that is it for today.
See you soon!
I have decided to dedicate this link on our new blog to my brush with cancer. I feel good about the prognosis. Everybody tells me that if ‘I had to have cancer, it is the best cancer to get.’ This sounds strange but the reality is… it’s true. Thyroid cancer is not considered a death sentence by any means and it is one of the most easily treatable cancers. I am fortunate. I have a wonderful family that loves me and supports me. I have great friends that have also been supportive. I bask in an aura of love and joy on a daily basis and what I notice is that I actually notice that more now. I can’t ask for more than that. However, there are not only ups. There are many downs too. The big point here is that I feel alive - all the time.
I intend to use this space to share how I am feeling and dealing with everything. I will try to post three to four times a week. It is not intended to be a platform to speak about cancer,although it could be at times. It is simply to record my thoughts on any given day and on any given matter during this time when I am fighting to be cancer-free. It is a temporary place for me to sort through and share my feelings involved in having and dealing with the disease and the more personal feelings that may come from that process. I suppose it is a journal really. It probably won’t be particularly interesting for most but I find it an easier to share what is happening without having to always send out group emails. This way, I won’t have to repeat myself. And you all will not feel any sense of obligation to respond. The information is here when you want it, if you want it.
Just to catch people up, I am including the two group emails that I sent out to friends and family when I first learned of the diagnosis. They are as follows:
Email #1 (written May 14th, 2015):
Dear Family and Friends,
As most of you know, I arrived to NYC last Friday safe and sound. There had been no real hitch except for that debilitating migraine I got the day after arriving that kept me away from my studies for a full day. I've been living the life of a hermit (a role that is actually more comfortable to me than I believe most people would imagine). Yesterday, I was just five days into making the physical move when I just got some really difficult and scary news. I have been diagnosed with thyroid cancer and will have to go back to take care of things very soon. Camera cut to... the floor opening up from under me.
My family doctor, who I am eternally grateful for her precautionary eye, had shown some concern a couple of months back when she had taken a look at my latest echography. A normal procedure...I have had my thyroid monitored for years due to some nodules. However, when the doctor put me through to see a specialist with some tests results and blood work, the specialist sort of scoffed at the idea that I may have anything to worry about and would not expedite a biopsy more quickly than through the regular, SLOW public health channels. This was despite the fact that we explained to her that I would be without any kind of insurance for a minimum of five months here in the States. The earliest I could get it done through the system would have been September. In the end, we decided to pay out of pocket for a biopsy as my family doctor recommended doing it. It was to give both Claudia and I that extra piece of mind. I guess I am in the five in one hundred category - the 5%. I only wish I had that kind of 'luck' when playing the lottery.
Both my family doctor and the specialist who performed the biopsy recommend dealing with it quickly. I concur as I just want to get that nastiness out of me.
Needless to say, all my plans have suddenly been foiled!! I am obviously worried and scared about the cancer and the upcoming surgery and my main concern is to get myself well. But I am also angry and annoyed that cancer actually has had the nerve to come around and rain on the parade, especially after all the hard work that both Claudia and I have invested in the last several months. I was so sad yesterday morning after Claudia told me the news and spent a good part of an hour simply pacing Bethany's apartment. After taking it all in, I moved on to action mode. I went to the Fellows office to talk to them personally about the possibility of getting a deferment to the Program's next cohort in 2016 as I have already done so much of the pre-work involved. The woman I spoke to was kind and listened to me as I got all choked up and told her what had happened and that I would have to give up my place. She told me that they are not in the practice of offering deferments but as it was an extraordinary circumstance, she would speak to the team and let me know something within a week. There was an email waiting for me from her when I got back to my sister's place 45 minutes later. They have deferred my place till 2016! That woman made my day yesterday. I know that I can beat this cancer thing (I don't think it knows who it is dealing with!) and fulfill this dream which, in fact, is many dreams wrapped up in one.
So...I will take at least two more of my exams (one tomorrow and one early or mid -week next week), postpone the last two, and spend a bit of time with friends here before joining my sweet baby, Evan, and beautiful wife, Claudia, back home in Portugal. I can't wait to wrap my arms around those two.
I will keep you all informed along this sudden shift in my journey.
Love to all,
Courtney
Email # 2 (written June 5th, 2015):
Hello all.
I hope you all are well. I just wanted to give everyone a bit of an update. I have been completely inundated with a tremendous amount of support over the last several weeks. I have tried to get back to most of you who have reached out to me. However, for anyone that I have missed, please rest assured that I appreciated your well wishes.
I am back in Portugal. I arrived about a week and a half ago. I had my first appointment at IPO (The Oncology Institute in Portugal) last Thursday. It went ok. I have another one next week where I will get some kind of biopsy of the lymph nodes to see if the cancer may have spread to them. Even if that happens, everything should be ok. I will also meet with the team of doctors/surgeons. The doctor I spoke with last week says this is all very easy to deal with. From what I have read, it seems to be true. . The surgery will be sometime in July.
I have started teaching here again...a very moderate schedule. I would, in fact, like to teach more. However, it has been fantastic to spend this kind of time with Evan and Claudia. They have been my joy!
That is it for now. For my Portuguese peeps....expect an email soon with my birthday party details. It will be on the 20th of June. Please save the date. I wasn't expecting to celebrate much this year but now I want to have a great party!
Be well.
Courtney
-------------------------------------------
So that is it for today.
See you soon!
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